Maternal Socio-Economic Variables and Immunization Uptake among Nursing Mothers at Health Facilities in Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial District, Nigeria

Abstract

The aim of this study was to examine the influence of maternal socio-economic variables on immunization uptake among nursing mothers at health facilities in Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial District. Three research questions were raised, and three hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. The study adopted the descriptive survey research design. The population of the study was all 75,348 nursing mothers attending the antenatal clinic in health facilities in the Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial District. A sample of 382 nursing mothers was selected for the study. The sample was selected using a purposive technique. A researcher-developed questionnaire, titled “Maternal Socioeconomic Variables and Immunization Uptake Questionnaire (MSVIUQ)," was the main instrument for data collection in the study. The instrument was scored using a four-point Likert scale. The instrument was face validated by three experts in the Departments of Human Kinetics and Health Education, Psychological Foundations of Education, and Sociological Foundations of Education. The internal consistency reliability was conducted for the instrument using Cronbach's alpha, which yielded a coefficient of .82. Data collected for the study were analyzed using mean and standard deviation to answer the research questions, while an independent t-test and analysis of variance were used to test the hypotheses. All the hypotheses were tested at the .05 level of significance. The findings indicated that place of residence, educational level, and health insurance have significant influence on the uptake of immunization amongst nursing mothers at health facilities in the Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial District. Based on the findings of the study, it was concluded that maternal socio-economic variables play an important role in shaping immunization uptake among nursing mothers at health facilities in Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial District. It was recommended among others that health educators should intensify community-based health education programs that focus on the importance of childhood immunization, especially among mothers with lower educational backgrounds and those living in rural communities.